Hi Everyone! This is our family blog, welcome, sit down, have cuppa and catch up with what we're doing.

Friday, October 07, 2011

Farewell Queen, Welcome Esther

I received mail yesterday informing me that my sponsor child had left the area with her family, and was now no longer part of the program. I knew it was coming - I've sponsored Queen since 2002 when she was in her early teens, and only last year agreed to continue the sponsorship beyond the usual cut-off date of her 18th birthday, so she could continue in school. Still, it's sad to say 'goodbye'.

So they sent me information about another girl in a another village in Zambia, and how can you say No?? So Welcome to the family Esther!

3 comments:

Through Child Fund, which used to be CCF (Christian Children's Foundation). Just go the website and pick a child! I specifically wanted a child in Africa, because I got the idea after reading about AIDS orphans in Africa, but then I just took the first one who popped up, it felt weird 'choosing'!

http://www.childfund.org/child-sponsorship/sponsor-a-child.aspx

It costs less than 4000 yen a month, which is about 4 bottles of sav from Wassy's, so well worth it!

The money goes to community projects rather than to the family, so it's not just a handout, but helps the whole community progress with better health care and education. However, you can also add in cash gifts that go directly to your child - it always amazed me that my 1000yen gift, which I can imagine my kids spending on stupid pink fluffy toys, was spent by Queen on bags of meal to feed the whole family! Then you write them letters - you can't send gifts, unless they can fit in an envelope so I used to send stickers and stuff from the 100yen shop.

Wow. This is inspiring, as is your blog, a rarity out there, well-written and humorous, whatever the topic. It gives me hope. At least your kids will hopefully carry the flame of decent literacy skills.;)